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Description of the trial

The AW Final Assembly Line (FAL) is the location in which helicopters are manufactured and it is responsible for creating processes that canter around reliability and efficiency, both in the supply and management of materials and in guaranteeing Quality during the assembly and delivery to the final customer. FOD (Foreign Object Debrief) is a serious danger caused by tools left inside the helicopter after manufacturing or servicing. Maintenance and manufacturing teams have dedicated procedures and processes to prevent and avoid the FOD risk. Those include strict tool control procedure, training courses, human factor best practises and different procedure for controlling the tools managements. The FITMAN goal is to improve the existing scenario and technical solution to support the monitoring of tools introducing an automatic IOT based system that will increase the safety of the environment. First, the system will increase the continuous awareness about the problem during the daily job. Moreover, the system will allow using the information gathered to improve the knowledge about typical FOD dangerous situations that will be used in workers training.

FITMAN AgustaWestland Smart Trial fact sheet

Innnovative service and functionalities

Collect data from Smart toolbox relevant to tool usage and errors, store them in historical database and allow the user to analyse them by filtering for a specific period of time.

Results about the events generated: the last date in which the event happens; typology of the event; tool associated to the event...

Collection of all the information in a report used by the stakeholder involved. This allows better tailoring training courses for the technicians as prescribed by regulations in the aviation industry.

Gathering of important information for trainers, such as error events occurring more frequently, tools most forgotten, typical time in which events happens, etc.

More and higher the awareness on safety that is essential for the avoidance of risk to helicopter’s users (passengers and crew).

Impact & benefits

the main result of the trial is the report of tools use tracking useful for preparation of tailored training material linked to Tools FOD prevention. This is a Qualitative Indicator whose validity has been approved by the instructors involved in the preparation of the courses to be delivered to BCW. The knowledge of the situations in which tools were not stored (shift change, the evening hours, etc.), the frequency of events, the type of tools are essential information to customize courses towards those aspects of human factors useful for FOD prevention.

Business challenges

Safety is a must in all aeronautical activities also in Final Assembly Line where many complex operations are performed during the mounting of a helicopter. As a consequence to encourage workers to a positive attitude towards safety and to discourage unsafe behaviour and practices is a best practice. To achieve this goal, it is important to train workers on the procedures to be followed in carrying out his activities and on the aspects of human factors; knowledge of human factor helps to avoid potential risk situations. In order to avoid FOD currently BCWs are required to attend periodically refresher courses relevant to Human Factor generic topics. The business objective is to improve the effectiveness of training of those courses.

IT PARTNER: TXT e-solutions

Founded in 1989, TXT e-solutions is an international software products and solutions vendor, leader in “Strategic Enterprise Solutions”. The company has been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange – STAR segment (TXT.MI) - since July 2000 and has about 600 employees. Consolidated 2014 revenues are € 55.9 million. TXT is based in Milan and has branches in Italy, Paris (F), Lyon (F), Wynyard (UK), Leicester (UK), Chemnitz (D), Halle (D), Barcelona (E), Toronto (CDN) and Sydney (AUS). TXT is specialized in the most dynamic and agile markets with the highest degree of innovation and renewal that require state-of-the art solutions, where process and business play a fundamental role in growth and competiveness. To answer to customer’s needs TXT has always invested in technology and in business processes innovation, making this a cornerstone on which to build its success. Research and Development therefore holds a primary role in TXT, with important investments in both business areas: TXT PERFORM: End-to-end solutions for Fashion, Retail, Consumer Goods and Manufacturing sectors; TXT NEXT: advanced Software Engineering Services for companies in the Aerospace, Automotive, High-Tech and Banking sectors.

END USER: Agusta Westland

AgustaWestland is leader in the global helicopter industry. It offers a wide commercial/military product range encompassing all main weight categories that can perform a full variety of missions such as offshore, passenger and VIP transport, air ambulance, law enforcement, SAR or utility missions. The advantage of this family of helicopters is that they share a common design approach, common parts, common training and the same maintenance philosophy. In the military sector, AgustaWestland has the most capable helicopters in production today for naval, attack, utility and combat SAR missions. Research and Development is an essential part of the business, and represents the Company’s commitment to improving existing products as well as to developing innovative solutions. AgustaWestland is particularly focused on providing customers with effective logistic and maintenance support to increase their operational capabilities, whilst reducing overall operating costs. The worldwide headcount at AgustaWestland exceeds 13,000, with major manufacturing facilities located in Italy, UK, Poland and USA. Revenues in 2013 stood at €4,076 million with a cumulative order backlog amounting to almost €12 million, and new orders worth €4,384 million.